Acute beds at psych units ‘lying vacant’

Emergency beds are being “under-utilised” at some of Cork’s mental health units and community services must be modernised, according to the HSE.

HSE Cork area manager Ger Reaney said up to a third of the acute psychiatric beds at St Stephen’s Hospital, Glanmire, and Bantry General Hospital are lying vacant or being used by patients who no longer had acute needs.

As part of a major overhaul of mental health services in the South under the Department of Health’s Vision for Change programme, the HSE plans to close nine of St Stephen’s 26 acute beds in the next few weeks and the remaining 17 by September.